West of Kabul, East of New York: An Afghan-American Story

"FOR MANY LONG YEARS, my siblings and I thought we were the only Afghans in America. When I introduced myself to people, they'd say, "Interesting
name. Where are you from?" When I said Afghanistan, I could feel myself changing, not unpleasantly, into a curiosity. Few knew where Afghanistan was, and some were amazed to learn it existed at all. Once, in a college gym class, a coach found my free-throw shooting form humorous. "Where have you been all your life," he guffawed, "Afghanistan?" When I said yes, he was taken aback: he thought Afghanistan was just an expression, like ultima Thule, meaning "off the map." ..."
Ansary writes from his heart about his experiences in this country and in his native country and shares his journeys between the two. Thought-provoking, fascinating, sometimes humorous.